


Cafe Phantasm

by KestrelShrike



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-22 19:55:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13771380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KestrelShrike/pseuds/KestrelShrike
Summary: A cute little coffeeshop AU about Nihlus and Shepard, because they both deserved so much more. Let us romance the turian!





	Cafe Phantasm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Turquoistar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turquoistar/gifts).



Deep breaths, Shepard. You can do this. You’ve faced worse than this. Hell, if this is the worst you have to worry about this week, you’re a damn lucky woman. 

Despite the reassuring words, her stomach still felt like a jumble of butterflies had made a permanent home in it as she approached the cafe, old-fashioned paper resume in hand. It was quicker and easier to apply through the Citadel’s net, but it lacked the personal touch, and God knew she would need it to get in here. 

Though very few things in the Citadel actually loomed, Shepard could feel the cafe hanging above her. It was one story and she felt absolutely ridiculous, but it was so much bigger in her mind, something she had built up until it wasn’t just a simple business but an actual monument to coffee and pastries, every employee looking down their noses at her, the human who dared to step foot in their establishment. This wasn’t just a normal cafe, of course. This was one that catered to the Citadel’s elite, nothing in its facade actually prohibitive, but everyone simply knew. You weren’t welcome here unless you were a certain class of personhood, and that class extended open arms to every species in the galaxy. Every species, that is, except for humans. 

Shepard would have never even bothered to reply had the ad not caught her eye. “Human server wanted for Cafe Phantasm. Resumes can be sent to -” After years of serving a rather exclusive set of clientele, it seemed the cafe was finally ready to branch out. They didn’t have to say much in their message- it was all implied. This could be a bold move for humanity, showing that the barriers that existed between non-council and council species could finally be broken down. Yes, it was just a barista job, but it was so much more than that. Fresh from a stint in graduate school, degree in hand but job prospects grim, she prepared to send her life away with not a click, but that human touch that would hopefully land her the job. Who knew that majoring ancient Prothean forms of combat wouldn’t pan out how she expected? 

There was an old fashioned bell on the door that chimed pleasantly as Shepard walked in, completely at odds with the immediate stares in her direction. A salarian, two krogan, and a quarian watched her with evident curiosity, not bothering to hide their glances until a turian behind the counter shouted, “back to your drinks!” With that, the customers returned to their coffees, though their eyes still shifted in her direction whenever the opportunity arose. 

Given that he was the only one behind the counter, she correctly surmised that this was the man to hand her resume to. Moving forward with her hand extended, Shepard tried to extend an air of confidence, though she was sure that her cheeks must match her hair. “I’m here about the job opening. I know it said to apply through the net, but it felt so impersonal.” The turian didn’t take her hand but he did take the sheet of paper from her, holding it between two talons. With his red plates and his white facial markings he was, she realized with a start, quite handsome. Well, Shepard had dealt with worse. 

Barely glancing at the piece of paper, he said, “Welcome… just Shepard?” 

“Er, yes.” She felt the strange need to call him sir, but resisted. 

“You’re hired. Quite frankly, you’re the only person that’s shown interest in weeks, and it took guts to come in here. I’m Nihlus Kryik, and I’ll be your supervisor. You start tomorrow at 0600 hours. Details will come in a message. That will be all.” And that was indeed it. Shepard had been hired as the first human barista at the Cafe Phantasm. 

***

Nihlus was a hard task master, as Shepard soon learned. On her first day he had said, “I work faster on my own,” but he begrudgingly mentored her, quick to correct but slow to give praise. 

There was a great deal to learn, more than Shepard had expected. Hands had to be washed between orders. No one understood how a volus drank, but they came in all the same and their demands were as exacting as any quarian. Turians had a fondness for chocolate and cinnamon that couldn’t be explained, while asari preferred their drinks with as much caffeine as possible. Drell and salarians liked tea over most everything else, but not the same variety. 

Within time, a rhythm between the two formed. Nihlus would bark the orders and Shepard would fill them, hands moving swiftly, a hum starting to form most days. At first Nihlus seemed annoyed by it, but then it happened. There was news from home, bad news about a childhood friend, and Shepard worked in silence. 

“No songs today?” 

“Not really in the mood, Nihlus.” She turned back to her drink, sprinkling something sweet over the top and taking it up to the bar, leaving it just on the edge. Nihlus frowned at her, but Shepard could only shrug. 

Her break was an hour later, Slumped in a table against a wall, Shepard checked her datapad obsessively, though there was no news. She almost didn’t notice when someone slid a hot chocolate in front of her, heaped with whip cream, a cherry on top in a show of pure extravagance. Those cost extra, imported all the way from Earth. It wasn’t too far off color from Nihlus. Speaking of… 

“I don’t like to see you down. You’re my best employee.” He took the chair across from her and sat backwards, arms folded over the back. He was too tall for it, having to bend almost double to fit. The image was comical enough that Shepard managed to crack a small smile. 

“This has to cost more than you pay me in a day.” 

“It’s worth it for you.” Was it her imagination, or did Nihlus’ voice grow husky? Suddenly unable to look him in the eye, Shepard took a sip of her hot chocolate, the burn feeling good as it slid all the way down her throat. 

Without much warning, Nihlus’ hand was heading towards her face. She was tempted to duck away and flinch, but a taloned finger gently wiped whipped cream from her nose, from a place Shepard hadn’t even noticed. 

“Shit, sorry,” she said as she hurried to offer him a napkin.

Nihlus waved her off. “It’s fine. It was… endearing. For a human.” And then he smiled again and Shepard did something she found she had been wanting to do for quite some time, though she had denied it. He was her supervisor, though not her boss, and he hadn’t exactly been friendly up until now, but… Her lips met his face plates, and though Nihlus seemed surprised at first, he leaned into the kiss. Someone in the cafe wolf-whistled in appreciation and they broke away, both looking at different spots of the cafe, Shepard blushing bright enough to match Nihlus completely. 

“Break is over,” Shepard finally managed to say. “We should go back to the bar.” Something wicked flashed through her mind and she couldn’t help but add, “Still think you work faster on your own?” 

Nihlus considered for a moment before answering. “I think I might move just a little bit faster with you beside me.”


End file.
